Yes Sarah, The more one examines old records the more respect one has for women, in this country (Australia) the pioneer women were the glue that held families together and so many of them were Irish emigrant women. If one looks at colonial records there they are, the old blokes, beards and all looking so imperious and important but the womenfolk were always in the background proping them up, keeping the house running, raising the children and a hundred and one other chores. The women of that era were really,quite remarkable and its only in more recent years that they are finally being recognized. At least in our system of record keeping both parents names were recorded on official birth registration documents and both parents are mentioned in baptismal records - mother's maiden name is noted. I guess we were lucky, as a young country we benefited from experience in the U.K. a man named Archer was the Civil Servant who we can all thank for setting up a comprehensive system which is still in use today. However, I say "Hail" the women of yesteryear, may your memory prevail and may God bless you all. James -----Original Message----- From: nir-down-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:nir-down-bounces@rootsweb.com]On Behalf Of Sarah Martin Sent: 01 February 2008 15:16 To: nir-down@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [NIR-DOWN] illegitimate birth registrations I was born in Ireland 78 years ago, and going back several generations children were never registered to the mother. Women had no rights. If the father died, the land or whatever he had went to his sons, not to the wife or the daughters. The eldest son was more or less bound to house and care for his mother. I have many ancestors that I know for sure were mine because we were taught about them in the home, but you would never have found out from a birth certificate. Even on my great grandmother's children it gave the father only. I only knew of my female ancestors because my mother knew of them by word of mouth in the family. A few generations back from me it would say Father "so and so" but never who the mother was. It had nothing to to with property or money, just male chovenism. Sarah. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robt & Wendy Stevenson" <stevensons@odyssey.on.ca> To: "Sandra" <sgordon817@earthlink.net>; <nir-down@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, February 01, 2008 3:54 AM Subject: [NIR-DOWN] illegitimate birth registrations > Sandra, > You have surprised me with the suggestion that "In Ireland, illegitimate > children were registered with the mother's name..." > Is this typically so? > I know that Corry Somerville had a son and two daughters by Mary > Cunningham > in Cumry Lodge, Monaghan. I don't know about the girls, but I do know > that > a Corry Somerville, probable age, shows up in Belfast where family lore > suggested he went. > We have other members in the family (nobles seemed to like to do that sort > of thing!) wherein the 'natural' child was named for the father. One > example is James Quaile Somerville who had a legitimate son Marcus and an > illegitimate one "James Quaile Somerville". I only wish I knew the > mother's > name! > So I don't think the child was always registered to the mother... > Wendy > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sandra" <sgordon817@earthlink.net> > To: "NIR-Down List" <NIR-DOWN-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 6:57 PM > Subject: [NIR-DOWN] Survivors > > >> <<My Brickwall is CORRY SOMERVILLE and his descendents. He was an >>>>illegitimate son of our grgrandpa Corry Somerville. And there are no >>>>other >>>>Somervilles...>> >> >> In Ireland, illegitimate children were registered with the mother's >> surname. >> They could not take the father's name. I have ancestors in this >> situation. In Ireland they are recorded everywhere with the mother's >> surname of Davidson. Once they came to the United States, they "assumed" >> the father's surname, which was Woods. >> >> Sandra >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> NIR-DOWN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NIR-DOWN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NIR-DOWN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.18/1254 - Release Date: 1/31/2008 8:30 PM